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Field Service Solutions: THE best versus the best for YOU

November 28, 2016 by Alison Chappell

If, like me, you are bombarded with sales emails on a daily basis, using the delete button on your keyboard is something of an autopilot situation. Delete, delete, delete …. oh hang on, undelete, that’s from the boss….. and so forth. Consequently we more than likely miss that one golden nugget of an email that might actually suggest the best solution to a problem that’s been niggling us for a while.

One such problem for me that has been solved by a sales email is that I have a cat with a very sensitive tummy, and as such he requires special food that is grain free – and expensive. Yes, my beloved fluffy moggy costs me an arm and a leg because he needs this special food, not because I think it’s the best on the market, but because it’s best for him, his health and my sanity (after cleaning up his ‘accidents’). As the successful advertising campaign says – ‘9 out of 10 cats prefer Whiskas’ – but my cat is the one in ten feline who doesn’t prefer it, because it makes him sick (Disclaimer: my other cat loves Whiskas!).

The point I’m making here (bear with me), is that it’s not always about having what is THE most popular or expensive solution on the market. It’s about what is the best thing for you, your organisation, your circumstances or even your cat. The same can be said for technology in the work place as this is where we do the important stuff, the stuff that matters and affects others, things that cost our businesses money.

I work with service technicians to provide technology solutions to help them work better, faster and more accurately. I’m always being asked “what is the best tablet, smart device, operating system, field management system, etc…?” As I’m sure you can appreciate, there is never a simple answer. Some systems are good and some not so, but at the end of the day, what matters is what’s best for your company, service team and clients.

Technology takes some people out of their comfort zone and I see this all the time. Monetary investment in technology isn’t cheap, and most of the time it’s not a case of sending it back if it doesn’t fit. A lot of time and effort goes into a technological project in the work place and in my experience this can go on for months, if not years.

The product I provide my service teams with is a small but significant cog in a big wheel. PartsArena Pro is a relatively cheap solution that, when implemented into a field service management system, gives engineers the freedom to diagnose faults and identify the right parts through their smart device. They can then add parts directly into the field management system and seamlessly and accurately order the right parts.

There are lots of free ways to get part and service information, and it’s true to say that I am told this by potential clients all the time. However, in many cases, service organisations can see that using alternative methods of obtaining such information is unreliable, time consuming and not necessarily good practice. Incorrectly ordered parts and time spent on site can scupper a KPI target. So, it brings me back to what is best versus what is best for you. It’s a loose analogy, but a true one that demonstrates how investing in a bit of research, effort, money (and sometimes reading a sales email) can ultimately provide a solution to an unnecessary problem, whether that problem is with your company or your cat.